


Questions, Answers, and Unhappy Truths

by orphan_account



Series: Supernatural Hetalia AU [1]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: 16k, Action, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Angst, Demons, I Tried, I'm sorry if this is not good, M/M, Magic, Romance, Slight Tragedy?, THIS IS SO LONG
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-03
Updated: 2016-06-03
Packaged: 2018-07-11 22:52:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7073833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He had left him five years ago without any explanation at all. Kiku suddenly meets him again in a small town and with it he has many questions for Arthur about why he left. However, he soon realizes that there is more to it than he thought as he sees things he never saw before and answers he wouldn't have believed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Questions, Answers, and Unhappy Truths

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia: Axis Powers in any shape or form.
> 
> I also apologize about any grammar mistakes and if this isn't that great. v.v

_ January 09, 20XX 9:45pm - Yao's House _

"You won't be able to make him happy. I refuse to accept you two as a couple, and my decision will never change." Yao sniffed, as he stared at the bowed form of his younger brother's lover. He honestly didn't see what his younger brother, Kiku, saw in the man. There were far much better looking people than this man with unruly blonde hair and humongous eyebrows; and people with a much better personality than this man as well. He was rude, sarcastic, a jerk, and hardly understandable. Surely Kiku had much better tastes.

"Yes, I understand." Arthur sat up from his bowed position, and readjusted himself a bit to make it more comfortable. "That is why I request that you'll take care of Kiku from now on. Tomorrow morning I'll be gone, you won't ever need to see me again."

Suspicion roused in Yao's eyes as he stared down at Arthur who didn't turn his gaze away. Yao prides himself in knowing when a person was telling a lie or not, and he could certainly see that Arthur was indeed not lying. However, he also knows that Arthur is someone who never gave up easily. Yao had discovered their relationship about two years ago and he refused to acknowledge it since. Arthur had never given up before, even if he had disagreed with their relationship, so why was he giving up now?

"Why, may I ask?" Yao questioned, observing Arthur as closely as he can, trying to find any lie, any little deception hidden in his eyes and body movements.

"I...cannot say as of right now. However, I promise to tell you one day. All I ask is that you take care of Kiku when I leave." It was suspicious, and Yao was tempted to force Arthur to tell him the answer, but if he knew anything about Arthur throughout all these years, it was that he could keep a tight lid about anything and you would never be able to force it out of him.

"You wouldn't need to ask in the first place. Naturally, I would always take care of my little brother, no matter the circumstances. More importantly, have you told Kiku about this?"

When Arthur kept his silence, Yao narrowed his eyes. He hadn't and that pissed him off the most. If Arthur planned to leave, the one who deserved to know the most would be Kiku. Yet, Arthur hasn't even told Kiku, and from what he can see, he never plans to. The only reason why he was ever tolerable of the man was because he had at least made Kiku very happy throughout their years together, and now he's planning to bring that all down with no explanation whatsoever? Unforgivable!

"Do you have no shame?" Yao stood up, taking a few steps forward until he was in front of Arthur. He grew increasingly annoyed when Arthur did not look at him, but at the floor. Raising his hand he smacked Arthur across the cheek, causing a resounding noise to enter the room. "You're just going to leave-no, you're just going to _abandon_ Kiku and toss away his feelings like they're nothing?! Without any explanation at all?!"

"...Yes." Arthur replied, bowing his head low and Yao grit his teeth in frustration. The man was acting like this hurts him more, like he was the one who was being left behind, when it was the exact opposite! He was the one abandoning his little brother, he was the one who plans to cause his little brother to suffer over a broken heart!

"How dare you!" Another smack, this time in the opposite cheek. "He loves you! He even went against me just to be with you, and you're just going to throw it all away without any remorse?! Then what were those years of you two being together? What were they to you?! This is why I never trusted you Westerners! You come here, see something interesting and new and decide to take it, and when it's no longer interesting you throw it away like it was nothing! Leave! Leave right this instant! I never want to see you or anything related to you ever again!"

Yao had gotten a few more smacks in throughout his whole fit, and Arthur had taken it all, much to his delight. The man would have no sympathy from him, not after this stunt he was going to pull. He had warned Kiku, told him that foreigners were to never be trusted. He just wished he had listened to him more. Seeing the disgusting man in front of him still not moving he shouted another 'Leave!' and emphasized this by pointing towards the door.

Finally, Arthur started moving, slowly standing up. As strangely quiet as he has been since this whole exchange, he walked towards the door Yao was pointing to, before stopping suddenly as if hesitating. Yao growled as he saw the man stop, not wanting his presence anywhere near him anymore, and nor did he want to hear whatever he had to say if he wanted to say anything.

"Do I need to repeat myself again?! Leave, you cretin!" Arthur then started moving again, grabbing the knob of the door tightly before opening it and leaving. Yao made a noise of triumph before sitting back down in his cushioned chair. If what Arthur said was true, he would be gone tomorrow morning, so Yao should prepare as much as he could for the broken heart his little brother was no doubt going to have. He couldn't do anything to prevent his heart from being broken, but he could try as much as he can to mend the pieces left behind.

* * *

_ October 16, 20XX 8:26am - Maedon Street _

It has been 5 whole years since Arthur had left him. The first two years Yao had taken care of him as he roamed through their household with a dead soul. Every single day Yao never failed to say something derogative towards Kiku's previous lover, and Kiku never tried to stop him, knowing it was Yao's way to express how angry he was over Arthur leaving him. It touched him a bit, knowing that his brother cared for him so much.

During the third year, the derogative terms stopped and Yao had seemed to be more quiet. It was also during this year when Yao had adopted a new person into their family, Leon. Kiku had enjoyed the new addition to their family, all his other younger siblings were somewhere far away from where he and Yao were. Leon was quiet for being a teen, but Kiku didn't mind since he was a quiet person himself. He had also met a fun-loving American who was completely different from him, but was willing to stay by him anyways. Their relationship had eventually grown into more than friendship and they were officially a couple during that year.

His heart still ached when he thought of Arthur and how he had abandoned him like nothing. Despite Yao hating Arthur, Kiku could never find it in himself to completely hate the man. He was sure Arthur had his reasons, he just wished he had told him why.

Being too lost in his thoughts, as he often was when he started thinking about Arthur, he didn't see where he was going and accidentally bumped into a stranger. Snapping out of it quickly as he was pushed to the floor, he looked to see that the person he had bumped into had also fallen.

"I'm so very sorry sir-"

"Blasted load of bollocks!" A voice grunted, interrupting Kiku's apology, and Kiku felt his heart stop at the familiar voice he knew for many years. Cautiously, he glanced at the male again, both having already stood up from their fall with Kiku in mid-bow to apologize. When he gazed up, deep black eyes met bright emerald green and Kiku took in a sharp breath.

The male with emerald green eyes glanced at Kiku in surprise, probably similar to Kiku's own expression. Carefully, Kiku brought up his right hand, bringing it up to the man's-Arthur's-face, trying to see if he was real or if this was a trick of some sort. Arthur flinched, stepping back a little, taken aback, and Kiku quickly put his hand away, his face flushing a bit that he did something so embarrassing.

"Asa...Arthur-san, is that-is that really you?" Arthur flinched again at his name being called and he stared at Kiku with something akin to disbelief and horror.

Arthur hadn't changed much throughout these five years, Kiku noted as he examined the male. He was still pretty much the same height, and his face was still the same with his large eyebrows and beautiful green eyes. His hair was still as unruly as ever, and he was wearing a grey trench coat that seemed very fitting on him. It was like he had never left, and that made Kiku's heart hurt a little bit more.

"I...er, Kiku. I didn't-I never expected to see you here. Um...would you...would you like some tea?" Arthur offered, probably to make this situation less awkward and Kiku was tempted to deny it, because despite loving the man and trying his best to understand why he left, he still did have some bitter resentment towards him, no matter how little it was.

"Yes, that would be lovely Arthur-san." And with that they had went to a nearby small cafe. Ordering some small pastries to go with their tea, they stayed in their awkward silence for awhile and it was even more uncomfortable than it was when they were outside. Coughing to get his attention, Arthur tried to make up some type of conversation.

"So...what are you doing here, Kiku? I thought you were still living with Yao?"

"Yes, I am still living with Yao. We had decided to move here, so this is my home now."

"A-Ah...I see... And...are you together with someone else now...?" Kiku narrowed his eyes as he stared at Arthur who visibly shrank a bit from his glare. Was he trying to get them back together? Impossible. After all, he was the one who left. Kiku would have no intentions of even wanting to get back with him either, he was happy with Alfred.

"Yes, actually." Kiku bit out, his tone more harsher than he had intended, but it seemed Arthur got the message that he was still not pleased with him since he could see Arthur moving back a little bit. "We met roughly two years ago and I am quite happy with him. I can tell that he, at least, loves me earnestly and won't abandon me like nothing."

Maybe it had been a bit unfair to use that against him, but Kiku couldn't help but feel a little bit of pleasure over the fact Arthur winced at the sudden jab. However, it only lasted for a moment before his facial expression changed. Exhaling a breath of relief, Arthur smiled gently at Kiku who was surprised at Arthur's sudden change in expressions.

"I'm glad that you're happy at least. Then, allow me to give you my blessings for I must depart now. I have some business that needs to be finished, so goodbye Kiku." Arthur then called the waitress for the bill and paid for their meal, giving the waitress also quite a lot for a tip. Kiku sat still in puzzlement, pondering over the confusing few moments he had with Arthur. He had at first seemed guilty for leaving Kiku, and then he's suddenly glad Kiku's found somebody else?

It didn't match up or make any sense. If Arthur was genuinely guilty over leaving him, then why did he leave in the first place? If Arthur still loved him, then what drove him to leave? It couldn't be family; Arthur told him his whole family had, in a sense, abandon him, so they didn't care where he was or what he was doing. And as far as he knew, Arthur had little to no friends and he was also stubborn, he wouldn't let someone influence him to leave Kiku, it had to be his own decision.

He didn't understand how Arthur always caused him such conflicted feelings like no other. He didn't love Arthur, not anymore, but he admits there were probably some lingering feelings because they never did properly break up in the first place. Now, he was just confused and he wanted answers.

Knowing he was never going to get those answers unless he tracked down Arthur, he sighed before he stood up and pushed in his chair. It was about 8:40 now and he had promised to meet up with Alfred at 9:00 am, so he had to hurry to his destination.

* * *

_ October 16, 20XX 9:06am - ?? _

"You're late." A young male with cold, ice blue eyes and platinum blonde hair, said, staring at the male he was lecturing.

"I'm sorry Lukas, I...ran into someone familiar." Arthur smiled apologetically as he took off his trench coat and put it on the coat rack. "How's the situation so far? Did any changes happened?"

"Yes," The male known as Lukas responded, pointing at the hologram-ish chart in front of him that was floating in air. "The miasma seems to have grown more suddenly. I believe it's safe to say that it'll attack soon. I've notified Vlad just now to come back since he went to search for you, so he'll be here soon. Ivan is scoping out the area and trying to find out the source of why the miasma suddenly increased."

"I see, and where was this?" Arthur glanced at the magical chart seeing the miasma percentage steadily increasing. "Shit, that's bad. Either it's a strong one starting to appear or there's one implanted in a human and it's causing the dormant demon to awaken, which is even worse."

"It's on Rucifel street, by or in the church. If a demon has been dormant for this long then it must be rather strong, and it's more likely that a demon implanted in the human is the one awakening it, so we'll have to destroy the both of them. If things stay like this we can expect it to fully awaken somewhere near night." Lukas showed Arthur some images of the aforementioned church before changing it back to the chart, which was constantly changing due to the miasma levels each second. 

"Okay then. Send a signal for Ivan to come back, we'll need him with us so we can plan our next set of actions. When Vlad and Ivan come back we'll start our planning and also be prepared for the other demon to come and attack us."

"Yes, Arthur." Lukas put his index and middle finger together and put it next to his temple, and then his two fingers started to glow an icy blue, sending Ivan Arthur's message.

The window suddenly opened and a loud exclamation of 'Found you!' surrounded the room as a blur of black and red hurled into Arthur, sending him and the other person to the ground. Arthur cursed as he felt his head hit the floor and Lukas sighed as he stared at the figure who had sent Arthur to the floor.

"Vlad, I thought we told you to do normal entrances, and to stop tackling Arthur down like that; you'll end up giving him a headache."

"It's not my fault he didn't arrive in time! Or are you just jealous that I tackled Arthur instead of you?" Vlad smirked, sticking out his tongue at Lukas who only sighed again in return.

"Of course not. Now get off him." Lukas held out his hand and Vlad took it, before pulling and making Lukas fall on top of him, causing them both to crush Arthur even more.

"Gah! Get off you two! I swear you'll both kill me one day!" Arthur never understands why Lukas allows Vlad to bring him down everytime this happens. In retrospect, Arthur thinks it could've been because Lukas believed Arthur deserved it as well. One day, Arthur was sure, he was going to kill them both.

After struggling a bit more, Arthur finally managed to pull himself out from under the two. Gasping for breath from having his breathing limited due to their weight, he then proceeded to hit the two on their heads, causing Lukas to mumble as he nursed his wound while Vlad just laughed it off.

"Oh? Why didn't you guys wait for me so we can do a dog-pile on Arthur?" A new voice spoke and Arthur jumped, surprised that he didn't notice his presence at all.

"You were too late Ivan! Better luck next time!" Vlad exclaimed, as Ivan, a male with lighter platinum blond hair and violet eyes, entered the room. Vlad then proceeded to hug Ivan in greeting before pulling back. Arthur greeted him by shaking Ivan's hand while Lukas did a small wave.

"However, if you really want to...we can always just do it again right now." Vlad grinned and Arthur couldn't help but glare at the male. He doesn't know when it became Vlad's favorite past-time to annoy the hell out of Arthur, and he's pretty sure he doesn't want to find out the reason why either.

"Please don't." Arthur sighed, patting his clothes to rid them of the dirt and dust it certainly had collected because of his fall.

"Da, today does not seem like a good day to do it a second time. We need to figure out what to do with the awakening demon first. However, Arthur," Arthur looked at Ivan in puzzlement, wondering why Ivan was addressing him, "why were you late today? It is unusual of you to ever be late; rather, you're usually the first one to arrive."

 _This again,_ Arthur sighed. It's not like Arthur was perfect, he could be late sometimes himself. Then again, if he were to ever be late he would tell them beforehand so they wouldn't worry, which he didn't do this time. And it's not like he had to hide it after all, they already knew pretty much everything else.

"I bumped into someone I knew from the past, you guys don't need to worry about it." Arthur emphasized this point by moving his hand in a way to dismiss the whole thing, however Vlad would not keep it so apparently.

"Someone from the past? Do you mean your past lo-?"

"Vlad." Lukas warned and Vlad shut his mouth immediately. They had promised each other not to force the other person to talk more than they wanted to about their past, and that also applied to here.

"It's okay Lukas, it's in the past." Arthur smiled gratefully at Lukas, happy that he was looking out for him even if this wasn't really as important. Not anymore, at least. "Yes, my previous lover. It was quite a surprise actually, meeting him when I haven't seen a glimpse of him for these past five years. Hell, I never thought I would _see_ him for the rest of my life. He hasn't changed much either appearance-wise and, from what I saw, personality-wise either. He seems like he's doing quite lovely as well and he's also still living with his older brother. It's like...like-"

"Arthur, stop." Ivan said, bringing his hand up to Arthur's cheek, surprising the British male as he saw a tear on it. Had he started to cry? Strange, it didn't feel like he was crying, but as Arthur rubbed his eyes, he clearly felt the wetness of tears forming on his sleeve.

"I'm sorry, I must be acting like a fool right now, aren't I?" Arthur furiously rubbed his eyes, trying to prevent the tears from falling even more. "Even though I was the one who left, I'm still foolishly in love with him after five years. Pathetic, right?"

"No, stop saying that. It's not foolish nor pathetic and neither is it your fault." Vlad whispered, hugging Arthur. Usually, Arthur would avoid these close contact gestures, but he couldn't find it in himself to let go as he buried his face onto Vlad's shoulder. "We all had to leave someone important; we all never got proper closure, but it was for the best. So then if you're going to keep saying you're foolish and pathetic, then we are too. Okay?"

"I...yes. I understand Vlad. Thank you." Arthur removed himself from the hug, smiling softly at Vlad who grinned back. Bringing his gloved hands over his eyes again he wiped off the remaining tears in his eyes.

"No problem! After all, I'm the one to go to when you guys need cheering up! Seriously, you all are very depressive. We need _someone_ to keep up the good mood. I mean-ouch!" Vlad hissed as he felt the back of his head get smacked with a fist. Quickly turning around, he identified that it was Lukas who had hit him.

"I have no clue who you're talking about that's depressive, foolish, or pathetic because it's definitely not me. However, if you need someone then you can always talk to us." And it was a message they all could understand. Vlad was the one who never really talked about his past, they only knew enough. All Arthur knows is that Vlad has been in the organization for many years, longer than him, Lukas, and Ivan, and that he had to leave his lover like Arthur, but Arthur could tell that the circumstances were different.

Lukas and Vlad had been in this organization longer than Arthur, so they knew more about the organization's mechanism than him. Although Arthur already knew a fair amount beforehand. Lukas had been quite untrusting in the beginning when Arthur first joined, more cold and less sociable than he is now, but Arthur and Vlad had broken that shell for the most part. When Ivan joined he was pretty unstable, and Arthur couldn't blame him for it. He had killed his younger sister taken over by a demon, and that had caused his magical blood to "awaken" of sorts. Being someone who really valued family, it had really traumatized the man and caused him to be in a pretty crazed state for awhile until Lukas, him, and Vlad had been able to snap him out of it. And that was why they were partners, the four of them, because they got along despite their varied differences, and Arthur couldn't have asked for better partners.

"Now that, that's out of the way," Arthur coughed to get the other's attentions, they were, after all, on a mission. "We should continue on with our plans for tonight. From what Lukas said the miasma on Rucifel street by the church has been increasing lately. We can assume that the demon will fully awaken somewhere near nighttime, so that is when we should strike. Ivan, you went to scope out the area, did you find anything that could help us?"

"Da. It seems the increasing miasma has been coming from a human inhabiting a demon like we predicted, although it seems to be unconsciously instead of on purpose. I have lowered down the number of people capable of inhabiting a demon that was nearby in the area." As Ivan said this he took out photos of people he had seen by the church and also possible to have caused the sudden increase of miasma. Normal people could not feel the miasma, only those who had the sight and magical blood running through their veins could. Although, those with lesser magical blood could only feel it barely, not enough to make them really truly notice it.

Arthur scanned the photos, looking through them before nodding his head.

"Good, then we'll be surveying the area tonight, preparing for the demon to awaken. Lukas, I trust that you will set the magical traps so we can have more of an advantage, and Vlad, I also trust that you will make sure we'll have little to no interference as possible, and make sure the restoration charms are in place so the church can be completely repaired after our battle. Ivan, I want you to make your attack and magic support charms on us and yourself to give us a boost, because from what Lukas predicts, this one will be a hard one to kill."

"Yes, Arthur./Sure thing!/Da, I understand." The three responded.

"Although," Vlad said before anyone could leave, "can we go all out on this one? I've been itching for a strong battle for awhile now and this one seems like it'll be one for once!" Arthur furrowed his eyebrows as he thought about it. It could be extremely dangerous, but if there was something Arthur knew about them all was that even if they used a lot of their magic, they were extremely careful in how much they used. Weighing out the options in his head, Arthur finally came up with his decision.

"Yes, it should be fine. Blow up the whole damn place if you want, just make sure you don't overdo it. Now, let's go! Stock up on your magic, it'd be unwise to go into a battle unprepared!" Arthur ordered, and everyone else nodded before taking off to do their duties. Ivan was going to make his charms, Lukas would set up the traps, and Vlad would make the restoration charms so everything could be okay after the battle. Arthur was going to figure out who was the one unconsciously-or consciously-sending out the extra miasma, and also calculate what demon rank they would be fighting. Arthur was usually skilled in knowing what demon rank they would be fighting based on the miasma levels, but it was going to be hard to distinguish them this time if there was a person inhabiting a demon nearby, so Arthur would have to be careful.

After all, people inhabiting demons could recognize those with magic potential, making them dangerous. Especially when people inhabiting demons aren't really demons, but still humans. There is a process to extract the demon from the human, you just need to capture the human first. It was more like a split personality in a way. One moment they're the friend you recognized and then the next they're a monster after your soul.

Shaking his head in an attempt to erase his previous thoughts, he grabbed his trench coat and put it back on. It wasn't good to dwell on those type of situations for Arthur, it always left a bittersweet taste in his mouth.

* * *

_ October 16, 20XX 1:15pm - Rucifel Street _

Kiku sighed as he looked up at the beautiful statues. Alfred and him had spent a nice time sight-seeing the town, and now Alfred had left to go back home. His older brother was sickly and seems to have collapsed once again. Kiku held no resentment towards Matthew even if Matthew had ruined their date, and that was because Kiku was sure that if Yao or Leon had been in the same situation he would've went to them in the blink of an eye even if he was with his lover, and Alfred was the same.

The church was beautiful though, Kiku mused, as he stared at the stained glass windows. Alfred and him were at a little cafe nearby the church discussing where they would want to live. They've been planning to buy a house and live together for awhile now, they just never had the time until now. The church was in the middle of the town so it was filled with people, and Alfred really wanted to live somewhere near here. Kiku, however, was wishing for a more secluded place away from the noise that would surely come by being in the middle of the town. If Alfred really wanted to live in the middle of the town though, Kiku was willing to compromise.

As Kiku was observing the intricate designs he did not expect for him to be bumped into again, causing him to let out a surprised noise as he fell down to his side.

"Shit! Sorry about that lad-oh, Kiku? Is that you?" Kiku perked up at the familiar voice, staring up at the source to see that it was indeed Arthur. It seemed like bumping into Arthur was becoming a thing today. Arthur held out his hand for Kiku to take it and Kiku did gratefully. Arthur then pulled Kiku up to his feet again.

"Thank you Arthur-san and it's okay." Kiku said, patting down his clothes to makes sure it wasn't wrinkly or dirty. "Although, may I ask why you are here? You're not usually one for crowds."

"Neither are you, but I-Well..." Arthur fumbled with words, trying to come up with a good excuse. Kiku would never believe him if he told him the truth anyways. "Um...have you seen anyone suspicious at all? I need to track someone down for a friend of mine, and they were last seen somewhere around here. It's too crowded for me to actually find him, and it's even worse that I don't really know how he looks, but I think if I see him face to face, I'll be able to figure it out."

Kiku furrowed his brows as he tried to remember anyone he had seen suspicious. He hasn't talked to anyone around here much, just the waiter who served him and Alfred in the cafe and some store owners from stores they had visited. Such as Lucille, a Monegasque girl who worked for the floral shop, Antonio a Spaniard who owned the cafe they had went to, Carlos the Cuban waiter who served him and Alfred, and Emma the Belgian florist at the shop Lucille worked at. There were also a few others, but none of them had seemed suspicious at all, they were quite lively people and he couldn't imagine them doing anything dangerous, not when most of them seemed to be honest, good people.

"No," Kiku finally replied to an anxious looking Arthur, who seemed a little bit more than nervous. "I haven't met or seen anyone suspicious as of late. However, I'll try my best to keep an eye out in case. May I ask why you need this suspicious person in the first place?"

"I'd...rather not. You wouldn't believe me anyways, since you don't have it." Arthur muttered the last part, and Kiku was sure it was supposed to be something he shouldn't have heard, but had anyways. "It's not as important that you have to look for anyone suspicious either. Just...be safe Kiku, and make sure you're not here during nighttime. This place gets quite rowdy during then, and it'd be safer if you weren't here during that time. " Arthur warned, getting prepared to leave again.

"I see. I'll keep that in mind Arthur-san, so be safe yourself. Goodbye then, Arthur-san." Kiku bowed, and Arthur did a mid-bow himself to say goodbye, before standing upright to turn around and leave.

Kiku watched Arthur as his form disappeared into the crowd before turning away himself. It was weird for Arthur to be looking for someone that he didn't even know their appearance of. He also mentioned about him not having something? But what is it? It made Kiku curious and frustrated that even now he still knows nothing about Arthur's disappearance and now he has even more questions he wants answers to instead of gaining answers.

Sighing, Kiku decided that he'll go back to his house where Yao and Leon were waiting for him. It was nearing 1:30pm and he had promised to be home by around 2:00pm, and it took roughly around 15-30 minutes to get there from the church.

Arthur sighed as he stared at the photographs in his hands. After his encounter with Kiku he had found all the people in them, and so he had narrowed down the numbers to one person now. They all seemed to be lovely people, and it was a shame that one had to be inhabiting a demon. Crossing out the pictures for those who weren't inhabiting the demon, he also circled the person who was inhabiting the demon. If they had luck, the person wouldn't be here tonight and they could finish the other demon clean and fast.

Arthur just hopes it won't involve Kiku in any way. He doesn't want to endanger Kiku anymore than he already has. Sometimes, Arthur thought that fate really must hate him for giving him this destiny. He didn't want it, nor did he want anyone important to him to be involved in it either, but that was already too late since five years ago. Meeting Kiku here probably wasn't a mistake and Arthur could only hope that things will be alright in the end. If he prayed now, would God answer his pleas to protect him?

...

Who was he kidding? God had already abandoned him a long time ago, ever since that one time. Not just him, God had already abandoned Lukas, Vlad, and Ivan as well. You could also say that, in a way, they left God themselves too.

* * *

_ October 16, 20XX 8:47pm - Rucifel Street _

Kiku doesn't understand why Yao sent him to go and get safety charms from the church. Ever since he mentioned how he met Arthur again during dinner, Yao has been on edge. Kiku didn't understand why Yao was paranoid, but it wasn't only Yao either, Leon also seemed to be a bit more guarded for some reason. Kiku was also sure that the church wouldn't even be open during this time, it was far too late, unless they had a night service or something tonight.

Kiku then remembered that Arthur had warned him not to go near the church during the night time. Didn't he promise Arthur that he wouldn't? He could go back now, but then it would be a wasted journey since he was already so close to the church, and he was sure that if he didn't get the safety charms, Yao would get angry at him.

It shouldn't be so bad to go this once, would it? What were the chances of him being in danger tonight of all nights? Having that in mind, Kiku decided that going to the church should be indeed fine.

As he approached the church though, he felt something towards uneasiness arise in his stomach, making him a bit confused. The church seemed to be glowing in a way, making it seem more otherworldly than it was in the morning. It was truly beautiful, and Kiku wish he had his camera so he could take a picture of it. The lights were off and it was best to assume that the church wasn't open, however Kiku decided to knock on the door anyways. He waited a few moments, but the door never opened.

Sighing, and hoping Yao won't be too mad that Kiku was unsuccessful in gaining the safety charms, he turned around to make the long journey back. It was then the door behind him opened, causing Kiku to look at it in surprise. There was a young male in front of the entryway now, looking at Kiku suspiciously. He had pale skin with strawberry blond hair, and his eyes were reddish-pink, a stereotypical image of a supernatural vampire.

"I'm sorry, sir. I just came here to get some safety charms. Do you possibly have any left?" Kiku asked, wondering why the male was observing him. When Kiku asked his question, the male frowned.

"No, we don't. Now, I suggest you leave before you get harmed." Harmed? Kiku looked around alarmed, trying to see if there was anyone nearby. Seeing none, he glanced back at the male who was gesturing for Kiku to leave already. Kiku was confused, but he decided to take the man's advice. After all, it was entirely possible this man could also be one of those dangerous people Arthur had mentioned. Kiku decided to take note of this and mention it to Arthur tomorrow if he met him again. Preparing to leave and say goodbye to the male on the entryway despite him being rude, he stopped as he heard a yell come from inside.

"Vlad! What the hell are you doing?! Come over here right now!" A familiar voice shouted and Vlad quickly turned around, apparently looking at something that was happening behind him. Kiku could hear some clashes and noise in the background as if stuff were breaking, yet the building itself looked perfectly fine. And that voice...it sounded like Arthur, Kiku was sure. They may have not seen each other for five years, but Kiku was sure he could recognize his voice. Arthur's voice was pretty unique and quite hard to forget.

"Sorry! Some stranger came by and I had to chase them away! I'll help you now!" The person named Vlad responded, before turning around towards Kiku again. "You should go away now. This place isn't safe-Lukas! Are you all right?!" Vlad had been looking back and forth as he told Kiku to go away before something suddenly caused him to run back inside, apparently trying to help this Lukas. Curious and confused, Kiku stood at the doorway, pondering whether to go in after him or not.

He could just be a bother, if they were fighting something, especially since Kiku wasn't much of a fighter in the first place, and Kiku never did like bothering others. He could call the cops, but from what he can tell, this would be something even the cops could not solve. _Arthur was there,_ his head reminded him, and that was enough to convince Kiku what he had to do. Looking determined, Kiku entered the church.

When Kiku looked around, the whole place was in ruins, yet if you looked at the church from outside, it looked perfectly fine. Kiku didn't understand how this could work, unless it was some type of illusion. Looking around, he saw the Vlad person next to another young male whose head was steadily bleeding, probably the one called Lukas. Growing a bit more than worried, he tried to find the one person he was for sure was here, but could not. Thinking Arthur could probably further inside the church, Kiku hid himself behind the pillars because he shouldn't be here in the first place.

"Are you okay?" Vlad asked, helping Lukas sit up. Lukas coughed as blood came out of his mouth, muttering something under his breath with his hand glowing a translucent blue. He directed his hand towards his head and suddenly the wound closed. Kiku held in a breath as he saw the scene, confused on what was happening.

"Thank you, Jötunn." Lukas muttered before nodding his head towards Vlad. "I'm fine, it just got me when I wasn't paying attention. Arthur and Ivan are fighting it farther inside, probably trying to trap it in one of my traps I placed over there. Leave me here, I'll regain my magic and then join you guys later." Vlad seemed troubled over the thought of leaving Lukas before sighing and nodding his head.

"Okay, just try not to use too much, okay? It'd be a shame for you to die so soon." Vlad said, managing a weak grin before it turned serious again. Standing up, he turned and went deeper inside the church.

"I know, and I should be directing those words to you, idiot." Lukas said, readjusting his position so he was more comfortable against the broken pillar he was leaning against. Kiku stared, trying to understand what was going on. Magic? Die? Use too much of what? Magic...magic didn't exist. Or at least Kiku was sure it didn't. Kiku decided to think about this later, he needed to reach Arthur first. Then Arthur could answer his questions.

Hurrying to catch up with Vlad while also keeping himself hidden wasn't as hard as Kiku thought it would be as he soon caught up with the man. The sounds of destruction were coming closer and closer, and Kiku wondered again how no one could hear all the noise emitting from this church. When they finally reached the source of all the noise, it was not what Kiku had expected to see.

Arthur was there fighting something, but Kiku could only see air. There was another male, but he was chanting something under his breath, and Kiku was sure he wouldn't understand it anyways if the man was shouting it out. Vlad immediately ran towards whatever invisible creature was there, suddenly unleashing a huge scythe out of his hands, red like blood. Kiku had trouble keeping down the noise of surprise that almost erupted from his throat as he saw the weapon appear literally out of no where.

Arthur then retreated, allowing Vlad to hit the thing from probably behind, but then suddenly Vlad was sent flying and hit the pillar near Kiku's hiding spot. His own eyes must be very wide, Kiku thought, as he stared at Vlad's bleeding form and Arthur shouting out his name in worry.

And then the invisible thing materialized in front of Kiku, and Kiku saw a huge, ugly, black creature towering over Arthur. Arthur seemed unconcerned about it as he seemed to struggle between going to see if Vlad was okay or proceed fighting the creature. The monster then moved it's large, shadowy hands and was preparing itself to strike. Feeling panic overcome him at the thought of seeing Arthur die, Kiku couldn't help but shout at him,

"Arthur!! Look out!" Arthur quickly whipped his head to Kiku's direction, looking at Kiku in shock.

"Kiku-?" Arthur only managed to get out before the thing swiped at him, causing Arthur to yelp as he lost his balance. Using his hands to make sure he didn't completely lose balance, Arthur pushed himself up, but because his back was in front of the creature he could not see the black vines that stretched out and went around his neck and proceeded to squeeze.

Choking, Arthur brought his hands up to the black vines, trying to take them off to no avail. He was then brought up, and Arthur felt his breathing quickly becoming slower and harder. Kiku couldn't help but stare for a few moments, not knowing what to do. The man chanting seemed to still be chanting, unaware of his partner being choked to death. While Vlad was a bit groggy from the hard blow, his moves sluggish as he tried to summon a long-range spell. 

Thinking he had to at least do something before Arthur died in front of him, he looked around and saw a nearby sword. He didn't know why it was there since this was a church, but he didn't care as he grabbed it and started to run towards the monster. He needed to attack it, Kiku repeated in his head, or distract it.

_Attackattackattackattackattack **kill**_

Arthur's eyes widened as he looked at Kiku, shouting at him something like, "Stop! No! Kiku! Don't!", but Kiku ignored him, swinging his sword at the creature, and then suddenly, his vision faded to black.

* * *

_**?????? ** _

_"Kiku? I'm home!" Arthur yelled, looking around as he entered the house. Making sure to take off his shoes and put on the slippers. He took off his coat and put it on the coat rack, and Kiku still did not appear. Arthur thought it was strange since Kiku never failed to say welcome back to him every time he came home. **He could be shopping,** Arthur mused, as he went towards the direction of the bedroom. Arthur would have bought groceries himself, but he didn't necessarily know how to distinguish which foods were good to use and which ones were not, plus he was a terrible cook in the first place, so Kiku never trusted him with buying them._

_Sighing, he put his briefcase on top of the desk, and was about to change his shirt when he heard something rustle. Confused, he turned around to see nothing. Growing unsettled, Arthur took off his shirt, rushing._

_The vision then shifted to the back of Arthur as he changed. Before Kiku knew it, a hand with pointed nails-claws?-appeared, and then struck Arthur's back, five deep red gashes adorning the pale flesh. Kiku's eyes widened as Arthur gave out a yell. Turning around, he looked straight at Kiku. His gaze of confusion quickly turned to one of dread._

_"Kiku...?" Kiku stared at Arthur in surprise, wondering if Arthur could see him wherever he was. "No...you're not Kiku are you? You're a demon..." Arthur grit his teeth as he said this, his expression of one of despair, hopelessness, and pain as he reached out his hand towards Kiku before quickly taking it back since the being's-Kiku's?-hands clawed at the outstretched arm._

_"Damn it! I thought I escaped you, that I had you out of my life! And now you just happen to have always been inside of someone I love...?" Kiku didn't like the expression Arthur had, this pained expression. He didn't understand anything that was happening, but that the one who attacked Arthur was apparently him? He doesn't remember any of this, and nor does he remember anything about demons ever being mentioned._

_The hand then started moving, about to strike Arthur again, and Kiku couldn't help but yell at Arthur to get away from the thing attacking him, but all he saw was his defeated expression before suddenly the whole vision faded away._

* * *

_ October 17, 20XX 4:35am - Church on Rucifel Street  _

Kiku gasped for breath as he awoke, sitting upright, looking around from side to side to see where he was. The-memory?-dream was still clear in his head and Kiku searched for the one person who could give him answers. As he looked around though, he noticed he was still inside the church and that the sun was just rising. Seeing himself enshrouded in some weird glow, he looked down, seeing a circle surrounding him with weird symbols. Curious, he touched them, and he felt a zap just from tapping it, making him put his hand away from it quickly.

"You're awake." A voice spoke, making Kiku jump as he looked around again, trying to find the source. It was the male who was called Lukas from last night, but his clothes weren't dirty or ripped as they were before, and any signs that he had been bleeding were gone. Kiku then realized that the church was also repaired, as he looked at the fully erect pillars inside the church, as if the battle Kiku saw last night was just a dream.

It couldn't have been though, because then Kiku wouldn't recognize this man and he wouldn't be in the church either. Remembering again that there was someone he wanted to meet, he made an attempt to stand up, before falling back down again, feeling his legs and arms completely weak for some reason.

"Don't stand up you idiot." Kiku couldn't help but be a bit affronted at the insult, especially since they didn't know each other. "We just finished healing you not too long ago and your body is still worn out, probably because you're not used to fighting at all. Vlad is coming back with some water, so just sit there for now and rest."

Kiku nodded, putting himself back into position, leaning back against a pillar conveniently place right behind him. As he looked at himself he saw that his previous clothes were a bit tattered, and there were some scars that weren't there before.

"They'll disappear in due time." Lukas said, noticing how Kiku was staring at some of the scars he had gain during the moment he blacked out. Not knowing how to respond, Kiku just nodded his head and looked around again, trying to find Arthur.

"What-" Kiku stopped, feeling his throat to be quite hoarse that you wouldn't be able to determine what he was saying. He then attempted to talk again after taking a few breaths, "What happened? And where is Arthur-san?" His voice still wasn't as distinguishable as he would like, but Lukas seemed to get the general idea of what he was asking.

"Arthur went with Vlad, so they'll be back together soon. I would tell you what happened, but Arthur told me not to until he came here, so we're both waiting for them to come back. Ivan, the one who is pretty big and has a scarf around his neck, went to check if all the restoration charms are working and is currently destroying the traps we had set up beforehand. By the way, I'm Lukas." Lukas explained, clearly bored as he took a piece of rock and threw it up and down repeatedly. 

Kiku felt relieved that Arthur was coming back. He had thought that Arthur would've gone away like last time, leaving Kiku with no explanation again. Smiling gratefully at Lukas, he leaned against the pillar more and felt himself doze off for a bit.

It didn't take long for Vlad and Arthur to come back, since they were only getting some water. Kiku still felt pretty drained, however, he did manage to keep himself a bit more upright. The two seemed to be talking about something in whispered voices before Arthur seemed to notice Kiku was awake and went towards him, leaving it up to Vlad to hold the water.

"Kiku, are you okay? Did you heal properly? Are you thirsty, hungry? Vlad! Bring the water here!" Arthur rushed, talking too fast for Kiku to fully comprehend. As he processed the questions in his head, Arthur became increasingly worried over Kiku's non-existent response.

"I'm-I'm fine Arthur-san." Kiku finally replied with, causing some of the worry on Arthur's face to go away, "I am a bit thirsty though and would appreciate some water." Hurriedly, Arthur rushed Vlad to come over and gave Kiku some water. When Kiku took a drink out of it, he somehow felt more cleaner than he did before, and he also did not fail to notice the three pairs of eyes gazing at him. After the water was all finished Arthur let out a relieved breath and Kiku stared at him confused. Noticing it, Arthur gave him a sheepish smile.

"I'm sorry about that, I-we just wanted to make sure that you were still...okay." Kiku furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to understand what he should be okay from.

"Okay from what, Arthur-san?" Arthur became quiet at the question, as if wondering how to explain. Kiku wondered if Arthur was planning to lie or not.

"I...well, it's nothing to worry about, not really. As long as you're fine." Arthur said, and Kiku felt annoyance at Arthur for trying to avoid the topic. Vlad seemed to also be displeased about this since he huffed in annoyance and nudged Arthur who nudged him back. Kiku then looked down at Arthur's hand that was resting atop of his own, and he saw five claw marks on Arthur's arm. Instantly, Kiku remembered the image of Arthur's back with the claw marks, and he felt himself growing worried again. The claw marks looked like the same as the ones in the dream Kiku had of Arthur. Remembering why he wanted to see Arthur in the first place, Kiku decided that he'll have his questions answered, and he will not let Arthur avoid them this time.

"Arthur," Kiku called and Arthur perked up a bit when he heard his name being called, wondering what Kiku needed now. "Please take off your shirt." Arthur stared at Kiku confused while Vlad and Lukas seemed amused at the request. 

"I-What for?" Arthur managed to get out, trying to avoid Kiku's gaze.

"I...I need to see your back." Kiku responded and understanding immediately dawn upon Arthur, and Kiku thought he could see a little bit of fear in Arthur's eyes. Vlad and Lukas also weren't amused like before, their expressions becoming more serious at the mention of Arthur's back. 

"That's-That's really not necessary is it? I didn't get attacked in the back, so it's fine." Arthur tried, looking anywhere but at Kiku. It was an answer enough for Kiku, but he still wanted to make sure. He still wanted to see it for himself. Gently, Kiku enclasped Arthur's hand with his, causing the latter to jump in surprise at the sudden contact. Still, Arthur avoided his gaze.

"Please." Kiku whispered, only for Arthur's ears and Arthur took in a sharp breath at it. Releasing a sigh, Arthur gave a hesitant short nod, agreeing to it. Unclasping their hands, Arthur turned around so Kiku could only see his back. Delicately, Arthur took off his shirt, and when the shirt had fully fallen, Kiku released the bated breath he didn't know he was holding in.

Arthur's back was marred by five angry, red scars and Kiku cringed as he saw them. Carefully, he touched one of the marks, causing Arthur to hiss and Kiku to quickly retract his own hand.

"Why...?" Kiku tried to ask as he stared at the marks. How come he didn't remember? When did this happen? Why didn't Arthur _tell_ him?

"How could I, when you didn't remember anything?" Arthur said, bringing his arms around himself. "No one believes in magic and demons anymore, I was sure you wouldn't have either. I also couldn't give you this burden when it's not your fault; it's mine. It's my fault you were inhabited by a demon. It's my fault you had to get involved...I thought that if I had _left_ you would be okay. Or at least then I could've saved you when I learned more about how to exorcise the monster inside you. I never...never wanted you to ever find out."

And it hurt Kiku how it may have been true. If Arthur had told him he had a demon inside him, Kiku probably would've thought that Arthur was being crazy. Again, he used his index finger to gently touch the scars, causing Arthur to wince a bit, but this time Kiku didn't pull away.

"Does it hurt a lot?" Kiku asked, splaying out his fingers to touch all the scars with his entire hand, making sure he didn't press too hard. Arthur shook his head in response.

"No, just a bit. It used to, but it's been better throughout these past few years." Throughout this whole exchange, Vlad and Lukas had been quiet, watching the scene as bystanders, knowing it was something they shouldn't interrupt. When they saw Ivan coming back they both took it as their opportunity to leave. Both giving their own reassurances to Arthur, (Vlad patted Arthur on the head, while Lukas patted him on the shoulder) they took Ivan away who looked at the scene confused, but decided to follow along with Lukas and Vlad anyways,

"What exactly happened last night?" Kiku decided to ask, trying to fill in the blanks left in his memory. He didn't want to keep being left out on what has been happening. Arthur seemed to struggle to find the right words to say, as if he wanted to tell and at the same time not.

"Are you sure? We can always just erase this from your memory and have you forget any of this happened. Do you really want to know?" It would be nice to forget about this, if Kiku thought about it. He wouldn't have to know that Arthur is doing something that's endangering his life, he didn't have to know that he was the one who attacked Arthur, yet Kiku didn't want to forget. Kiku wanted to know that he was the one who almost killed Arthur, even if it brought him guilt, because it was something important to him and Arthur, it explained things Kiku never understood before.

Knowing what has been happening is important and something Kiku wouldn't want to forget, even if it meant that maybe he'd be a bit more conscious over the fact that their normal world wasn't quite so normal. That some people could be dying because they're trying to eliminate these demons like Arthur, Vlad, Lukas, and Ivan. So Kiku would rather know about it, than forget that it ever happened.

"I'm sure." Kiku reaffirmed. Arthur seemed to frown, apparently not very pleased with the answer, but nodded nonetheless.

"Okay, then... When you took the sword and tried to attack, Lukas came in time and trapped you in a barrier to stop your movements because he thought you were aiming for me. You were already taken over by the demon I believe at that point. However, you threw the sword, but instead of hitting me you cutted off the black vines constricting me of my breath. It was then that Ivan finished his chanting and casted a destruction spell that will cause the demon to destroy itself from the inside. So while that was taken care of, we now had to bring you down. It took a long time to finally stop you, since it took the four of us to defeat you in the end, but we at least managed it with minor injuries."

And it was true, Kiku noticed as he looked at Arthur with only a few scratches minus the claw marks on his arm and the old ones on his back, there were also some dark lines around his neck, probably because of the black vines. Lukas had only a few injuries as well, seeming to be alright before, and Vlad also seemed to be okay except for the head bandages he had on. Ivan was the only one who seemed to be completely fine, with no injuries in sight.

"I see." Kiku simply responded, not knowing how to continue on with this conversation. They stayed in a tense silence for awhile, with Kiku still touching Arthur's back, analyzing the scars and wondering how deep it went.

After awhile, Vlad and Lukas entered the room, Vlad bringing more water and Lukas bringing some food for Kiku. Arthur proceeded to put back his shirt on, since there was no need of having it off anymore, and Kiku gratefully drank more of the water and ate the food given to him. Ivan had decided to send a telegram to the organization that they had finished their mission, and they would be going right after he finished, surprising Kiku over what little time they had left together.

"You have to go so soon?" Kiku asked, trying, but failing, to make it sound like he wasn't dejected over it. He wanted to know more about the organization, demons, and if he needs anything to help him and his family to be safe from those creatures. He wanted to spend more time with Arthur and catch up on some things and make sure he was really okay. He wanted to know if this was the Arthur he still knew or if he was a completely different person. He wanted to know about the Arthur he never knew about until now. He didn't want Arthur to go. Arthur glanced at Kiku in surprise before giving him a knowing smile.

"Yes, it's not good to stay here too long, especially for people like us. I'd love to know how you've been lately Kiku and learn about the things I missed, but we don't have time for that. Just promise me...that you'll be happy alright? And-Oh!" Arthur paused, quickly checking his pockets, trying to find something. He grew increasingly confused when there was nothing. Kiku couldn't help but chuckle in amusement behind his hand, happy to know that at least this trait of Arthur hasn't changed. He still forgets where he puts his things, making him always lose them.

Arthur flushed in embarrassment while his other two magical companions gave their own small chuckles, probably used to seeing this happen many times throughout their five years together. Giving a hopeless sigh, Lukas stepped up and patted Arthur's shoulder to get his attention. Arthur turned to Lukas, whispering something, probably asking where he had left something, but Lukas just opened his hands, showing some weird accessories inscribed with similar weird symbols from the magical circle Kiku was sitting on. Quickly thanking Lukas, Arthur took the items before taking Kiku's left hand, opening it and putting the items in Kiku's hand. Kiku stared at Arthur confused, wondering why he would need these items.

"These are protection charms, they'll help you in case something with dark energy tries to attack you. There's four, one for you, Leon, Yao, and the person you currently love right now. Make sure to keep it safe and to never lose it. It'd be bad if it goes in the wrong hands." Arthur explained, closing Kiku's hand over the items before removing his own hand from Kiku's.

It relieved Kiku to know that these would be able to keep his family safe. It was also nice for Arthur to give him one for Alfred, despite how much it might've pained the man to do so. It truly showed that Arthur really did care for him, and that made Kiku happy. While Kiku can no longer find himself in love with Arthur as he used to be in the past, he still genuinely cared for the man, and this proved why. It was also then when Kiku realized that Arthur had mentioned Leon. Arthur couldn't have known about Leon if he hasn't been here for five years, so then how...?

"Arthur-san, how did you-" Kiku started, trying to gain the man's attention, but then Ivan entered the room.

"I have finished giving the telegram to the organization, it is best if we go now." Ivan said, and immediately Lukas, Vlad, and Arthur stood up, preparing to leave. Kiku stood up himself, although he struggled quite a bit since his legs were still weak.

"Wait, Arthur-san-" Kiku tried, but this time Arthur interrupted him.

"I'm sorry Kiku, we have to leave now. Can you tell me the address of your lover?" Arthur asked, and Kiku sighed, knowing that there was no point in asking now.

"Yes, he lives on Natis street. I can direct myself from there." Kiku replied, and Arthur nodded. He then clapped his hands together, both of his hands now glowing a minty green, before putting it on the floor. After a few seconds a glowing green circle appeared on the floor and then those mysterious symbols inscribed itself onto the floor. Kiku stared at it, mesmerized at the beautiful circle and how it was magically creating itself.

"Enter through the portal Kiku and you'll arrive on Natis street. Be careful to not let anyone get those protection charms because then you, especially, will be more likely to be possessed by a demon again since you were once before. Also, I hope you are happy with the one you're with now, Kiku. I'm sorry that, that person couldn't be me." Arthur smiled regrettably and Kiku couldn't help but smile sadly back. They could've worked, they _were_ working, but then this happened and everything came crashing down. Maybe in another life or another time and place, their circumstances will be different. Maybe, they would actually be together for the rest of their lives. This time, however, they were simply not meant to be.

"Goodbye Arthur-san." Kiku sighed, approaching the circle. Arthur nodded back in return and Kiku then entered, feeling the circle glow all around him before he felt himself being pulled simultaneously towards something, yet it didn't hurt. His vision became a blur and then suddenly he was standing on concrete, right next to the pole saying the street's name.

Sighing once again, he walked past several houses before stopping in front of a light blue house, small, but Kiku still loved the house anyways. He hopes he's not intruding on Alfred's sleep, especially since it's still very early. Quietly, Kiku rose his hand and knocked on the door, waiting for Alfred to come. Chances were that Alfred was asleep, but if so then Matthew was usually awake during these times. Despite being sickly, Matthew was a pretty light sleeper and always an early riser.

He didn't have to wait too long as he heard the booming footsteps emitting from the house, notifying Kiku that Alfred was awake. Which was actually pretty strange, since Alfred was not an early riser and he would never be awake during these times unless he was worried or nervous.

The door opened and Kiku met Alfred's worried gaze, who looked at Kiku in surprise and relief.

"Kiku! I was so worried! Yao called me and told me you were missing! I thought you were attacked or murdered, or something! Thank god you're okay!" Alfred breathed, hugging the Japanese male tightly and Kiku returned it, although not as tight. He had forgotten that throughout all of last nights events he was supposed to be at the church getting safety charms. Of course Yao was going to be worried when he never returned and contact Alfred to see if he had went to him.

"I'm sorry for making you worry Alfred-san. I am just fine, I just met someone from long ago, someone I never thought to meet again." Kiku explained as they entered the house. Kiku held the protection accessories tightly as he thought of how he just left Arthur a few minutes ago. Arthur had done so much for him, yet he never did anything for Arthur. Instead, he was just a bother because of the demon previously inside him.

"Someone from long ago? Who-?" Alfred looked confused as he tried to figure out the mysterious person. Kiku didn't have much people he kept contact with, and those that he did were ones he still saw even today. The dots then connected for him as he remembered Kiku's story that he told him three months ago. He couldn't keep down the scowl he had.

"You mean that English bastard? You don't ever need to see him again, Kiku. Not that man who left you for nothing." Kiku appreciated that Alfred cared about how he felt, but he couldn't help but feel more remorse when he was reminded of why Arthur left.

"Thank you, Alfred-san, for caring about me so much," Kiku smiled,"but Arthur-san and I had a talk and things were explained. I'm not angry over him leaving me, and neither should you be. Even if I have forgiven him for what he has done, I'll still be with you, so don't worry Alfred-san." Alfred paused, flushing embarrassingly at Kiku already figuring out what he was thinking. Kiku gently took Alfred's hand and Alfred squeezed his. Kiku smiled at the American, before giving him a peck on the lips. 

"Okay then, if you're sure." Alfred sulked. He still didn't like the idea that Kiku could forgive such a guy for abandoning him, but it wasn't his right to judge when he didn't know the man personally himself. If he ever did meet him though, he was definitely going to get a good punch in the face first before Alfred ever forgives him for giving his love a broken heart for years.

"I'm sure," Kiku affirmed, just for the sake that Alfred knew he was being serious. "Now, I have to go back to Yao and Leon. They must be worrying about me and I should let them know that I am safe."

 _I also have some things I want to ask them,_ Kiku mentally added, but Alfed didn't need to know that, he was totally uninvolved in this whole thing. Alfred's expression immediately saddened and Kiku couldn't help but feel a bit guilty that he was leaving him so soon, but he needed to talk to Yao. Also Leon since he is apparently somehow a part of this as well. Remembering what he was holding tightly in his other hand, he removed his hand from Alfred and then took one of the accessories. There were two bracelets and two necklaces, each a different color from black, blue, red, and green. Knowing Alfred's favorite color already he took the blue bracelet and handed it over to Alfred who stared at it confused.

"This is for you. I got these awhile ago and wanted to give you one. Sadly, I could not get one for Matthew." At the mention of how Kiku had gotten it for Alfred, Alfred immediately snatched it away and looked at it like it was a Christmas gift, his eyes lighting up and a huge smile on his face. It was adorable. 

"Wow! This is so cool Kiku! They look like those strange accessories in a magical world from a game or something! I mean, look at those strange symbols!" Alfred exclaimed, holding it up skyward to observe it more. He didn't see Kiku's flinch at the semi-true statement.

"Yes, that's why I was sure you would like it." Kiku lied. "Goodbye Alfred-san."

"Bye Kiku! Come by later, alright? Mattie says that he would like to hang out with you again since no one else really does except you." 

"I'll make sure to sometime this week." Kiku nodded his head, giving Alfred one last hug before leaving. Luckily his house wasn't that far from Alfred's so the walk didn't take too long. After arriving at the house, he quietly opened the door and took off his shoes before putting on the slippers. It was like he was intruding since the house was still dark and there were no lights on. He entered the kitchen and put the accessories on the table before looking at the time on the clock. It was 6am, close to 6:30am and Yao usually woke up around 7am. It was best if he made breakfast now and then wait for them both to come down. Leon usually wakes up when he could smell food being cooked.

Taking out a pan and then the carton of eggs, he also checked the rice to see if there was still enough left. Deeming the rice was still a good quantity for them all to eat and another batch wouldn't need to necessarily be made, he proceeded on continuing in cooking the omelette rice dish. Omelette rice was a simple dish and did not take too long for Kiku to make, so he decided to also make tea. He would make green tea today, he decided, as he started to prepare it.

When he finished preparing the entire breakfast it was near 7. Like he had thought Leon had woken up and came inside in a confused daze as he stared at the dining table filled with their food and tea. Kiku never woke up this early to make breakfast, it was usually Yao who made it. Kiku would usually make lunch and then Leon would usually make dinner. Although there were times when they switched it up a bit.

"Is there something special going on that I don't know about?" Leon asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and then shaking his head to wake himself up more. Kiku shook his head no, not revealing what he knew to them yet. He wanted them both here when he questioned them. Soon enough, Yao did appear, looking at the two in surprise before quickly hugging Kiku tightly.

"Ai ya! I thought you were in danger! Don't scare me like that again!" Yao exclaimed, Kiku returning the hug back.

"I'm sorry to worry you like that. I am fine, brother." Kiku released himself from the hug and Yao narrowed his eyes at him, scrutinizing him and looking up and down.

"There's something different about you... It's not exactly bad, but I can't tell if it's good either." Yao frowned, and Kiku became confused. Noticing it, Yao made a dismissive gesture.

"Never mind, it's not important. We should eat before the food gets cold." Yao said, taking one of the chairs and sitting on it. Kiku and Leon then followed after him and they proceeded to eat breakfast. When they were nearly done with it, Leon noticed the three accessories on the table and froze as he stared at them. Carefully, he picked one up and observed it.

"Brother," Leon said, "where did you get this?" He was clenching it more tightly, Kiku noticed, and it was enough for him to know that Leon knew. Somehow, Leon knows about it and it's most likely that Yao does as well, but he had to make sure.

"Arthur gave it to me. He told me it was a protection of sorts for cases of possession." Yao dropped his spoon he was using to eat with, and stared at Kiku in surprise.

"You know?" Yao asked. Kiku narrowed his eyes at this, but nodded nonetheless.

"Yes. We had a talk not long ago and he told me everything. However, my question is, why didn't _you_ tell me Yao? Or even you Leon? You two knew the truth of Arthur leaving me, but you never told me. _Why?_ " Yao could only look away in what looked like shame, while Leon stayed quiet, still staring at the protection charms. Kiku waited, knowing sooner or later one will respond.

"I..." Yao started, looking straight at Kiku now, his expression a bit more than pained, "didn't want to tell you, not when you were just getting over him and actually being happy again. When Arthur came by one night and told me the truth two years after he left, it was when you met Alfred and you were so...so _happy_ that I couldn't just tell you the truth. I didn't want you to know the truth when you could end up being too caught up in a love that was never meant to be."

Everyone had stopped eating now, and Kiku wasn't sure if any of them will eat after this conversation, since it was already spoiling Kiku's own stomach.

"I appreciate your concern, but I do not appreciate you keeping this from me. I had a right to know why Arthur left me, Yao, and it shouldn't have been something you kept from me."

"I have already realized that the truth shouldn't have been kept from you, but there was another reason why I never even told you, Kiku." Yao became more grim as he mentioned this and Kiku narrowed his eyes. Leon suddenly dropped the accessories and was also looking at Yao suspiciously. Yao looked at Leon and gave him a sad smile and a gesture as if asking for permission. Kiku looked at the two interact in curiosity because Yao was older, he didn't need Leon's permission for anything, but he saw Leon give a curt nod and Yao turned back to Kiku.

"I assume Arthur told you that he has magic and has been fighting demons." Kiku nodded in response and Yao took that as to continue on. "All of that is true, but I'm sure he also left out an important detail because he doesn't want you to know the whole truth. Arthur didn't leave because he joined an organization that hunted down demons. He didn't leave because _you_ were a demon either. He could've exorcise you and secretly led his demon hunting life if that was the case."

Kiku felt his breath stop as he processed this information. It was confusing and Kiku was finding it hard to believe the words coming out of Yao's mouth. If he didn't leave because of the organization or because of him, then...why?

"He left because-"

"It's a double-edged sword." Leon interrupted. "Those who join the organization have to pay a price, and this price commonly makes people leave their loved ones, or else their loved ones will die. Arthur never told me what the real price was, but it must not be good."

Kiku didn't know whether or not Leon was telling all the facts or not, he did not have Yao's ability to detect lies and deceit, but he decided that he should. It was making his head spin. His appetite was now gone and his body filled with lethargy; he took one of the protection accessories-the green necklace-and left the room, excusing himself to Yao and Leon. Yao watched Kiku exit out of the room before releasing a sigh.

"Will anything happen to me because I told?" Yao leaned against his chair, putting his fist under his chin, looking like some sort of king, just not on a throne. Leon lightly picked up the remaining two protection accessories before handing out the red necklace to Yao. Yao took it and looked at it, making an appreciative noise as he saw the beautiful scarlet jewel with the symbols engraved in it.

"No," Leon replied, closing his eyes, "you only told because you had to. Since that was the case there will be no repercussions on you for telling Kiku about it. This also means that my job is hereby done."

"Yes, I know," Yao gave a bitter smile. "I enjoyed having you with us Leon. Do you really have to go back so soon?"

"Normally, yes, but Arthur sent me a letter a few months ago. The letter said that I could stay and monitor you and leave whenever I want to go back to the organization. If it was the me from before I met you, I would've left without a second thought because of your hatred for Arthur. I didn't like how you thought he was bad or cruel when he's really truly kind. He saved me from the streets and then he gave me a home, so I couldn't help but feel angry at you for misunderstanding him. However, as time went on and I stayed with you two, I...I grew to really enjoy being here and it felt like a real family... So if you would be happy to have me, I would be glad to stay for awhile."

Leon had moved in front of Yao, his head bowed and on his knees. As he moved to glance up, he was immediately captured into a hug by the latter.

"Of course I would be happy to. You've always been a part of this family ever since you first came and that will never change even when you leave. Thank you for doing this old one a favor and staying here with me." Yao smiled as he cried and Leon hugged him back tightly.

* * *

_ October 17, 20XX 8:16am - Temporary Headquarters _

Arthur sighed as he stared at the sun fully risen and the town below. They were at an abandoned building not too far from the town, using it as their headquarters of sorts for the time being until they had to leave. Even from the distance Arthur still had a pretty clear view of the shops and the people bustling about in the early morning, getting to work or buying items from the morning markets. He assumed it was probably a side-effect for now until it passed its course.

"Mint," Arthur called out to seemingly air, not removing his gaze from the town below him one bit. A few moments later a creature the color of minty green resembling a flying bunny appeared right in front of him.

"Yes, Arthur?" Mint asked, wondering what his master wanted from him. He already had a fair guess of what was next to come, but it was customary to ask your master this after you've been summoned.

"I'm sure you already know, but it is time to do the exchange. We must be wary on our journey back in case of an ambush. I'm sure the higher demons have found out by now that we've killed one of their strongest ranked demons. It doesn't take long to feel the loss presence of a demon soul after all." Arthur finally stopped looking down at the city to look at Mint, the most adorable looking creature who reminds him of what he has lost and will never get back, a reminder that he was never really ever able to truly escape as he had thought.

"I understand master. We will now commence the distribution ceremony then." With the words being said, a bright light enclosed them, wrapping around them as Arthur reached his hand out and touched Mint. Closing his eyes and taking a rather harsher breath than he meant to, he felt something inside him being pushed towards the point of where Mint and him were touching. He felt it unravel inside him, leaving him and entering Mint.

He hissed as he felt a sharp pain on the side of his neck before spreading throughout his whole body. Just as quickly as it had come, it became a dull ache and the light whooshed away in a twirl. Opening his eyes, he looked at Mint who seemed pleased and he couldn't stop his grimace as he felt a slight burning feeling on his neck, knowing the black mark there was the reason why it felt like this. The mark would then disappear as if it were never there, only to reappear again when they initiated the distribution ceremony another time.

It was ironic, Arthur had to say, that it was an exchange of magic for blood and blood for magic. Those born special were given the abilities to perform magic. Yet they couldn't control it alone. It was hilarious how the only way for those with magic to control their own magic is to make a contract with a demon. The same demons they were fighting against.

Of course, a demon and human contract was consensual. They could not force a demon to make a contract with them and a demon cannot force a contract with a human, it had to be agreed upon on both sides. Although it wasn't impossible to force a contract between a demon and human, there were awful repercussions in those cases, some more gruesome than others.

Demons didn't care much of the well beings of others demons, making it not as hard to find demons willing to help them exterminate other demons. No, the hardest part was really finding a human who had sufficient magic power to be able to fight against powerful demons. The only demons who were untrustworthy were demons who were more humanoid. Demons who look closer to a way that humans do, represents their strength and how dangerous they are, and those demons are quite hard to control even in a contract. In contracts humans are able to have control over the demons, with the demons following most of their commands, but humanoid demons weren't as easy and in more cases than not, it often led to that person being possessed by that demon. The end results were never pretty.

"How much time left?" Arthur asked, feeling the burning sensation disappear, signaling that the mark on his neck had also disappeared. Now full of magical power that he could use freely, he needed to check up on Lukas, Vlad, and Ivan to make sure that they were fine as well. Kiku's interruption had been a miscalculation and although he doubts it had done any severe harm to them physically, it did require them to use more magic than necessary.

"You still have plenty of time Arthur. After all, you are from the Kirkland family, one of the most ancient families filled with magical blood. So you still have plenty of magic left and that means you still have plenty of time left, especially since you didn't use much for this battle. Although," Mint paused, giving Arthur a concerned look. "Are you sure it was a good idea making those protection charms? It would be okay if it were one, but you made four Arthur. This could cause you trouble later on." Mint fluttered down onto the railing below him, furling his wings. Arthur took out his arm and gently patted Mint on the head once Mint was on the railing.

"I understand the consequences, Mint, and I'm prepared for it. I want to protect him as much as I can and Yao and Leon as well. Also Kiku's lover so he can live happily with him. It may have cost me a great amount of magic, but like you said I have plenty, and, it's the best thing I can do to ensure he'll be safe with me gone and afar."

"If you are sure master." Mint then unfurled his wings, notifying Arthur that Lukas and the others were nearby then.

"I'm sure." Arthur responded before turning around to see Lukas, Vlad, and Ivan with their own respected demons. Jötunn and Dracul were with their owners Lukas and Vlad, but General Winter seemed to be nowhere near Ivan at all. Not that it was much of a surprise though since General Winter usually made himself scarce unless he was only with Ivan.

"Ready to go Arthur?" The Romanian male asked, ordering his demon to go away. Lukas did the same and Arthur also repeated the action. Once they were gone, Arthur decided to talk.

"Yes. Do you know how much time you have left? I know Ivan is probably fine since he joined not too long ago, but what about you two?"

"Haha, I'm fine!" Vlad grinned, his sharp teeth sticking out. "I may have joined way before you, but I am one of the strongest magic wielders. I should still have about 4-5 years max, maybe even a bit more if I'm more careful."

"I used a lot more than I should've last night, but I'm still alright for the most part. I still have a lot of time left as well." Lukas answered, and Arthur felt relieved at them. 4-5 years may not be much at all really, but it was long considering how they were constantly going on missions which can end up with someone dead. They were honestly lucky that they've had all their members intact ever since they first formed it, not many ever had that outcome for so long.

"Good," Arthur smiled, putting on his coat. "I wouldn't want any of you turning demon on us anytime soon. Now let's go, it would be best to reach home headquarters early. Also remember to watch out for any ambushes or nearby demons."

"Arthur," Ivan started, making Arthur stop from what he was doing. He looked at Ivan in curiosity, wondering what he wanted right now. "My sensors have been noticing a strange presence by the doorway for a few minutes now. It doesn't seem to be human, but it does not seem like it's a demon either. I am unsure what to do about it."

Arthur's brows furrowed as he processed this new tidbit of information. No one should know they were here, Arthur made sure of that. Ivan's sensors have never been faulty either, but...neither human nor demon? That was strange, it was usually one or the other.

"I see. I'll take care of it then. Watch my back in case they decide to attack from elsewhere." Arthur quickly created a magical bulb of light in his hand, a magical beam in case the person in front of the door decided to attack him. Silently, he went down the stairs towards the front door, grasping the handle. Quickly pulling it down he held his hand up towards the person before seeing it was a young boy. He had blond hair and blue eyes, looking about to be roughly 16 or 17.

The boy jumped back in surprise, not expecting someone to open the door so roughly. He was holding a glowing object, but Arthur could not tell what it was directly. The boy stared at Arthur's hand in bewilderment and wariness, wondering what the glowing bulb was meant to do. Based on his reactions Arthur could tell that the boy didn't have much or no experience with magic, which made things difficult because that would mean they would have to erase his memory. That would waste more time.

"Boy, where are your parents? Shouldn't your parents be keeping a better eye on you? This place isn't for teenagers." Arthur remarked, closing his hand and distinguishing the magic. The young-German?-boy stared at Arthur's hand in amazement because the bulb of light was immediately gone. Remembering what he came here for, the boy shook his head and glanced at Arthur with something akin to grief and determination at the same time.

"I-my father told me to take this," he held up the glowing object, which Arthur could recognize, but he could not remember what it was for. "He told me to let it guide me and if it's working correctly it'll take me to a group of people who should be able to help us."

Arthur frowned before holding out his hand, a silent gesture for the trinket the boy had. The boy seemed a bit reluctant, but he gave it to Arthur in the end who examined the piece. Arthur doesn't understand why his father would tell him to rely on an object to guide him somewhere. It sounded ridiculous unless the object was...

Arthur paused in his thoughts as he thought about this. Realization struck through him like lightning and he quickly turned the object around, looking at the symbol carved in it. The carved wings on it were enough to tell Arthur what it was and he was barely able to suppress his groan. It seems like they wouldn't be able to reach headquarters for awhile now. Sighing very audibly, he gave the boy back his locater device.

"Kid, what's your name?" Arthur asked. It was part of the requirements to know all of _their_ last names, so if the boy gave it to him Arthur would be able to depict if the boy had stolen it, or he actually was part of that bloodline. The rumored holy bloodline that the organization was told to protect at all costs if they were asked to help them. 

"Ludwig Beilschmidt." Ludwig answered, his fingers pressing into the device nervously. "My brother got possessed by a demon and I was told by my father that this would take me to help. By now, I'm sure my mother and father are-" Ludwig stopped, feeling a sob inside almost come out from his throat. Seeing the signs of a breakdown happening, Arthur quickly ushered Ludwig inside.

Ludwig was a part of the holy bloodline and if he asked for his help, then Arthur had to give it to him. They were first priority before the demons. Their protection was valued the most. Arthur never thought someone with holy blood could be possessed, but apparently he was wrong based on Ludwig's brief explanation.

"I understand." Arthur finally said once they got inside the house. Lukas, Vlad, and Ivan were just a few steps away, looking at Arthur in confusion as he appeared with a young boy. "We'll help you Ludwig, but we cannot do this alone. I'm not sure if you were ever taught anything, but we are demon exterminators and exorcists of sorts, so we'll be able to save your older brother. Just tell us where we need to go and we'll also need to train you as well. If your brother is of holy blood and also a demon, then that spells out more trouble for us. We'll need you to learn how to fight since you also have holy blood, and if anyone has a better advantage of fighting him, it's you. Do you understand? You can back out if you want, but we'll still help regardless."

Ludwig looked at him, his gaze unsure, before he gave a hesitant nod in agreement. "Ja-Yes, I want to save my brud-brother at all costs. If we have better chances with me learning how to fight, then I'll do it." As he said this his voice became more confident and sure and Arthur could see the hesitance in his eyes from before leave. Giving his own nod in approval he patted Ludwig gently on the back. It wasn't right that someone young like him had to do this, but it was their life, their world, and Arthur and no one else could do anything else about it.

"Arthur? What is wrong? Who is that child?" Ivan asked, looking at Ludwig curiously like a child who found a new interesting specimen.

"His name is Ludwig and we'll be taking a slight detour for awhile. Lukas, I want you to contact headquarters and tell them we won't be arriving back anytime soon and when we'll be back is undetermined. Ivan, take off your sensors since we'll be leaving." Arthur ordered and Ivan and Lukas looked at him strangely, but did what they were told. Lukas sighed as he told the headquarters their change of plans and frowned at the response he was given.

"Arthur, they want an explanation as to why we won't be back. Can you tell us?" Lukas said, temporarily cutting off the connection so Arthur could tell them. If he had kept the connection the organization could possibly overhear and Lukas didn't want that if the reason why Arthur wanted to redirect their course was because of a personal matter. The organization would never accept an answer like that.

"Tell them it was a request of a holy child." Arthur answered back, and Lukas' eyes widened as Arthur said this. Not many got the chance to meet someone with holy bloodlines, most keeping themselves hidden for their own well beings. Ivan was more confused at the response, since he was still kind of new to all of this, but he was also intrigued at the statement that the child in front of him was holy. Vlad looked at the kid with a slack jaw, surprised that the kid was able to reach them in the first place.

"How-?"

"Locater device. I'm not sure exactly how it really works, but it must be some magical object that's able to locate people like us. So maybe there's something all of us in the organization must have that no one else would unless they were part of the organization. Did you tell them Lukas?"

"Yes, they've accepted it. They told us not to take too long though, it seems like they have a mission they only want us to do."

"Good. If we're lucky it shouldn't take too long at all. Possibly two-three weeks at most. If we're all ready then let's go, we shouldn't waste more time than we've already have. The demons will find us at this rate." Arthur then turned to the speechless and lost Ludwig, giving him a look of concern. "Will you be able to defend yourself? I don't know how much your parents have ever told you, or if you can even use any of your holy powers, but we need to know if you can at least hold your own or not."

"I-I believe I can." Ludwig replied. "I don't know if I've ever used any of my powers before or if I even have any, but I am quite good with hand-to-hand combat if that'll be any use." Arthur breathed a sigh of relief at this. He wasn't sure if Ludwig was one of those families that saw their blood as superior and did nothing to strengthen themselves because they believe they'll always be protected or if they were those families who knew of their blood, but they still strengthen themselves for just in case situations because of their rare blood. If Ludwig knew hand-to-hand, then it was most likely the latter of the two.

"That's fine lad. Knowing hand-to-hand combat is important, never only rely on your supernatural powers alone. If you do, then that'll eventually lead to your downfall. Come on, let's go, I don't know how far your brother is into possession, but if we hurry we can make it in time before it gets too far."

Ludwig nodded his head, standing up straight from his previous position and stretching as he did so. The others mimicked his actions before they went out the doorway. He closed his eyes as he felt the cold air hit his unshielded skin. He would save his brother no matter what went in his way. He wasn't strong enough to save father or mother...but he still had a chance to save his only brother and he would make sure he succeeds no matter what. Gilbert didn't deserve this, not when Gilbert was the strongest, bravest, and kindest man he has ever known his whole life. He didn't deserve becoming a demon who will eventually kill thousands.

_Don't worry brother, I'll be there to save you. Just wait for me, please._

**Author's Note:**

>  **Please read this note if you want to know what happens to Ludwig and Gilbert!** This is because I don't plan on ever writing the saving Gilbert part of this universe because of lack of motivation. I might if I ever feel like it later on though? There is more to this A/N so if you just want to read about the Ludwig and Gilbert part it will be in **bold**.
> 
> First, I'm going to explain some things that weren't explained. Such as why Arthur is the leader despite Vlad and Lukas being in the organization longer than him. This is because despite being in there longer, Arthur has more knowledge than them when it comes to the demons. Vlad and Lukas know more about how the organization works, but Arthur has better knowledge and experience when it comes to battles and demons in general. This is because Arthur comes from an ancient family filled with magical blood, so his whole family is a part of the organization. Which means Arthur has been training since he was a young boy to become an "exorcist", which is why he has the skill to distinguish miasma levels and a demons rank/strength.
> 
> Although I never directly mentioned it, Vlad, Lukas, Arthur, and Ivan all specialize in something related to magic. Lukas is more advanced when it comes to healing, communication, and traps, courtesy of him being a past-shaman; Ivan is great when it comes to destruction in general, this is because of General Winter, his contracted demon (which is a humanoid demon by the way); Arthur specializes in summoning, although it isn't really shown here because we don't get to see them fight as much; and Vlad is better at materializing things with his magic, like the scythe he created before.
> 
> **Ludwig and Gilbert are people with holy blood. They also have magic, but unlike the "exorcists" they don't need a demon so they can control their magic. While Ludwig directs Arthur to Gilbert's latest location, they do fight groups of demons occasionally, which is advantageous for Ludwig since during those battles he gets a better grasp at controlling his powers. When they do reach Gilbert, luckily Gilbert hasn't done much damage yet, this is because he hasn't finished the process of demon possession yet, although he's very near to it. Gilbert would've reached it, but the process was slowed due to their parents combined efforts in slowing it down as much as they could. In the end Ludwig is able to successfully save Gilbert, but it is not without consequences. Because the demon possession process was very close, it resulted in Gilbert ending up in a coma with no one knowing when he'll ever wake up. Ludwig then decides to join Arthur's team in the organization since he has no where else to go.**
> 
> To further explain Ivan and his bloodline, Ivan is part of a very strong magical bloodline, he just never knew and neither did his ancestors for a long while. It is because of this strong magical blood that Ivan is one of the only people who actually can control a humanoid demon (General Winter in Ivan's case). No one else really knows about Ivan's humanoid demon except for his teammates, and some of the higher ups from the organization.
> 
> Lukas is from a family of shamans, this also means that the other Nordics are also shamans. Shamans have the ability to use magic without the need of a demon, however, they cannot use it to their fullest potential. Shamans are more of a neutral role when it comes to the supernatural world, usually deciding to not side with the organization or the demons. Lukas decides to leave that neutral position and join the organization though because of his need to get stronger at magic because of a plague his younger brother, Emil, had, which wasn't curable unless he had stronger magic. This is why he made a contract with Jötunn.
> 
> I plan to actually write something that deals with Vlad, so it'll be then when more information about Vlad will be explained. (If I ever get to it at least.)
> 
> When they were waiting for Kiku to drink the water they had given him the first time, this was because they gave Kiku holy water in case Kiku still had a demon in him. The second time they gave him water it was actually normal water. Yao also notices that the demon is gone when he meets Kiku again, although Yao and Kiku do not realize it themselves.
> 
> To elaborate the "exorcist" and demon contract, it is a magic for blood and blood for magic contract like it's stated before. The human gives their magic to the demon, and the demon then puts their blood inside the human. The magic given to the demon is then retransferred back to the human, but it is now magic that the human can use. The demon blood does remain in the human though and accumulates the more they use magic, which is why Arthur and the others constantly tell them to be careful with how much they use.
> 
> If you have any questions, please just ask and I'll answer my best.


End file.
